GHANA’S BLACK STARLETS EYE REVENGE OVER DOMINANT NIGERIA’S GOLDEN EAGLETS

Fears of another possible defeat of Ghana’s Black Starlets has gripped football followers in Ghana as both countries’ U-17 teams clash on Saturday evening in Niamey Niger for the sole ticket of West African Zone B of 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania.

According to a Ghanaian publication, Ghanaweb, the Black Starlets will seek to exorcise their phobia for the Nigerian juvenile side.

Coach Karim Zito’s boys need to win to grab the sole ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition in Tanzania next year.
The publication sees Nigeria as a huge dilemma the Ghanaian coach, Karim Zito must confront. The last time Ghana and Nigeria met at U-17 level five years ago, Nigeria won 6-1.

“Zito has an uphill task as his team need to overturn Ghana’s 1-6 agonising defeat to Nigeria in the 2013 AFCON hosted by Morocco and another 1-2 loss in the same competition hosted by Togo in 2007”.

According to Ghanaweb, Saturday’s game presents the Starlets a golden opportunity to end Nigeria’s dominance at the juvenile level, although they first beat the Eaglets 3-1 in the grand finale of the maiden edition of the competition in 1995.
Ghana made a jerky start to the six-nation competition but bounced back strongly to defeat other West Africa greats like Cote d’Ivoire and Togo by 2-1 apiece.
The Eaglets have also had a fine tournament, having dispatched host nation Niger 2-1 in the semi-final after a scintillating performance that ensured a 5-1 thumping of Cote d’Ivoire.
With an attacking arsenal that has produced nine goals in the competition so far, the Eaglets seem to have the edge over Ghana but Coach Zito is certain that the Starlets are ready to fight till their last blood to subdue their rivals.

Coach Zito said playing Ghana had sent shivers down the spine of the Nigerians, hence he did not see them as a threat to his team. “They are trembling coming to play Ghana,” the coach noted.
He said his team earned the final place on merit and although he respects the Nigerian team, he was confident that nothing would stop them from seeking revenge to make Ghanaians proud by snatching the sole ticket to the next continental showpiece.